The Candle Meadows of Karass Don Slava
by MarisPallitax
Summary: After Amy kissed the Doctor in Flesh and Stone, an awkward conversation between Amy and Rory is ensured... Post Vampires in Venice, pre Amy's Choice. Two-shot
1. Chapter 1

"Why did you do it?"

Amy looked up, startled, and saw Rory's hurt eyes. The big, baby eyes that had won her heart. He had been staring at the TARDIS console intently for many minutes in silence, before just looking up.

"What are you talking about?" Amy turned away, unable to meet his gaze. She knew _exactly_ what he was talking about.

"You know what I mean!" he whispered looking down again. Amy was sure she'd seen a tiny tear fall from his face.

"Ro-ry!" she whined, bouncing over to him and putting her arms around his neck. "Don't do this." Amy took his face in her hands and turned him to look at her. "I chose you, you know that."

"Then why did you have to kiss _him_?"

Amy raised her arms, covering her search for an excuse with exasperation. "Because he was there and you weren't? I don't know!"

"So you're blaming me for you running off with another man on the night before your wedding?" he yelled.

Amy glanced at the various doors around the console room. It seemed that the Doctor had the sense to stay away whenever Rory and Amy were alone together.

"No! That's not what I meant…"

"Then what _do_ you mean?" he turned to her and attempted a glare, but his expression immediately softened when he saw her face. It always did. "Do you still want to get married, Amy?"

She bit her lip, uncertain. This was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. She liked him, sure, but the Doctor… He was her handsome hero, and Rory was just, well, Rory. But she couldn't do it, not now.

"Of course I do," she replied clearly, her face betraying no emotion. "I like you, Rory, and I always will."

He felt a thrill of happiness, until he replayed the words in his head and his glee swiftly evaporated. "Just… _like_ me?"

Amy paled. She couldn't say it. She had _never_ said those words before; the thought was overwhelming and, frankly, terrifying.

She looked away, trying to remain calm and casual. "Well what do you want me to say?"

"Amy, I love you. I just need to know if you feel the same about me."

"Yeah, of course I do," she said, avoiding catching his eye.

There was an awkward silence, and for a few moments, Amy was almost certain that Rory was about to burst into tears.

"Right!"

The two of them jumped about a foot in the air as their very familiar 'designated driver' swaggered in through a door to the left and hopped down the stairs, two at a time, with his usual grin that was brimming with over-confidence.

"You two finished, yet? We can't be chatting all day!" he began loudly, not noticing either of their expressions. "Amy, Rory, what do you think of the Candle Meadows of Karass Don Slava?"

Rory looked up swiftly. "Yeah, fine."

"Sounds great." Amy forced a smile.

There was something about the way that Amy was smiling and Rory was becoming extremely interested in a zigzag plotter on the console that aroused the Doctor's suspicions.

He knew that if he spoke to Rory first he may open flood-barriers that can never be closed, whereas Amy was much harder to get to talk about her feelings and therefore harder to extract information from. Clearly, he would have to speak to her first in order to find out what was going on.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor sprinted over to the door of the TARDIS with his usual air of mystery that made even Rory, who was still thinking back to the argument between him and Amy, feel curious at what lay outside. The Doctor's face lit up with the childish delight that the couple had become accustomed to seeing when visiting somewhere new.

Although it did slip off his face for a split second, "I'll just check we're in the right place…"

"Good, I've been on edge ever since that arrow came flying through there and just missed my head," glowered Rory.

"I honestly didn't know!" the Time Lord raised his hands defensively.

"What, that we'd landed on the archery course at the Olympics?" Amy argued, though a giggle was rising in her throat.

"I thought we were on the sidelines," the Doctor mumbled.

Amy laughed and Rory gave her another hurt look, which silenced her. The Doctor looked between them once more, before opening the door just the tiniest gap and peering through, tense. He then relaxed and flung them open. Amy ran eagerly to his side, curious about the new world before him, and Rory ambled grumpily towards the pair; annoyed, but still inquisitive.

Neither of them was prepared for what was out there. The view hit them both with the force of a stampeding krafayis and their previous argument was forgotten.

The sky above them was dark, but shades of blue, purple, even green seeped through, swirling with a texture that looked like water or jelly. This exquisite colour darted across the skies, except for in one circular area, where there was nothing but black; a gaping wound with the colours of the surrounding sky only daring to dance around the fringes, never to enter; a scar in the very heavens, cursing the planet below into eternal darkness.

But light did survive. Around them, there was what appeared to be a meadow, laden with not wildflowers (or at least not the kind that Rory was accustomed to on Earth), but what appear to be plants with bell-like blossoms that reach hopefully up to the scar; each flower encumbered by tiny, orb-like, glowing crystals. They were not the only source of light; there were also what appeared to be singular flames, as if on imaginary floating wicks that produced a dim white light with shades of blue or pink, depending on where you stood when observing them. Many other sources of light could be found in the Candle Meadows; blooms that had bioluminescent pollen, or petals that's light throbbed, glowing and dying.

With all the illumination found in the pastures used for cultivating luminosity itself, you could hardly notice the darkness above and it seemed as bright as day. It was only from a distance, or from above, that you would see the light ebbing and flowing in the style of the aurora borealis, creating an ever-shifting atmosphere that protected the inhabitants of the planet from darkness.

Amy began to feel herself slipping away.

"Amy!" Rory cried reaching towards her. But the Doctor got there first.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he caught her and carefully helped her gain stability. Once again Rory felt a stab of annoyance. "It's the pollen," the Doctor began, "it has a low level psychic ability that kind of hypnotises you if you look at it for too long; makes you go to sleep. All right?"

She nodded. "I'm fine," she replied, still a little dazed, but the dizziness quickly lost strength. "You two are so clingy!" she then marched out of the TARDIS' entrance and into the meadows.

Rory and the Doctor followed, the Doctor laughing and Rory still trying to maintain his expression of annoyance, but it was becoming increasingly difficult due to the beauty of the planet around them.

Finally they caught up with Amy.

"So that used to be a sun, yeah?" she pointed to the gaping hole in the sky.

"Yes," the Doctor began. "It disappeared around two hundred years ago, about the same time that their inter-planetary government passed a law allowing import of alien foods. Legend has it that their deity, Slava, became angry and punished them by removing their sun, which is where they got most of their energy, so they couldn't travel to other planets. But then Slava took pity on them and gave them the Candle Meadows so they wouldn't have to suffer the darkness." He paused. "Honestly, I didn't know it was populated!"

Amy turned to him in shock. "What, you mean _you_ destroyed their sun?"

"I got them the plants, didn't I?"

"Doctor," said Amy, half in amusement, half in exasperation, "_why_ did you destory their sun?"

"I had to," he argued, "it burned up when I was saying goodbye to an old friend."

Amy rolled her eyes. "You are ridiculous."

The Doctor frowned suddenly and stopped walking. "Amy?"

"Yes?"

"Where's Rory?"  
Her eyes widened and she turned to look behind them. There was no one there. "Oh my God, Doctor, where is he?" Her breathing and heartbeat quickened.

He turned to her and put his hands on either side of her shoulders. "Amy, calm down, he's probably just gone back to the TARDIS," he stared into her worried eyes, though he himself was also feeling concerned. She shook herself from his grip and sprinted back towards the TARDIS.

Although she didn't need to go that far, the Doctor found him just a few steps back. "Amy!"

She stopped and began darting towards him. Rory was lying lifelessly on top of the luminescent blossoms.

She glanced at the Doctor tearfully. "Is he dead?"

He bit his lip. "I'm not sure." He then saw her tear-stricken face and hastily added, "I don't think so, though." He bent over Rory for a moment, taking out the sonic screwdriver and scanning him. "He's still breathing; the pollen must have more of an effect on him than with you."

Amy said nothing and merely knelt at Rory's side, brushing away the beads of sweat building on his forehead, her eyes still damp. "Doctor… he's got a fever." She turned to him. "Will he be alright?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"Then why did you take us here?" she screamed at him. "Why did you take us to a planet that could kill us?"

"I didn't know!" he replied. "It's gotten stronger; evolved. And it's not like you've never risked death before."

Amy glared darkly at him, a look he had never seen before, one full of hate. She took hold of one of Rory's arms and attempted to drag him. "Help me!" she yelled at the Time Lord.

"Right, yes," the Doctor took hold of Rory's feet and helped Amy carry him into the TARDIS.

They then carried him through one of the doors on the first floor, across the hall, and into a door with unusual handwriting that spelt the words _"Amy & Rory's Room."_ Inside were a beautifully made bed (which Amy had never remembered making), a chest of drawers and a mirror. It looked very much like the bedroom at Amy's house.

The Doctor then dropped Rory's legs onto the bed, breathing heavily. Amy glowered at his carelessness and gently placed Rory's head on the pillows, arranging them to look as comfortable as possible. Amy then sat herself on the other side of the bed, taking one of Rory's hands in her own and stroking his hair with her other hand. For ages she sat there in silence, the Doctor observing her actions, his face painted with an expression of pity.

"Can't you do anything?" Amy finally spoke; her voice hoarse.

"No. But he should wake up in a few hours."

Amy stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate, wishing for him to talk for the first time.

He obliged. "Once the pollen has got into your system, it makes you dream and can sort of… comatose you. At least until you've finished dreaming. He'll be fine."

Amy refused to move.

"Come along, Pond, you need to eat."

Calmly, Amy removed herself from Rory, strode to the Doctor's side, and slapped him hard in the face.

"What was that for?" he rubbed the spot where she'd hit him. That had hurt.

"I am _not_ leaving him! You put him here and now I'm making sure he comes back!"

"Amy Pond, you are fantastic!" the Doctor smiled.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she said nothing. There was silence and Amy took her place back next to Rory and the Doctor awkwardly arranged himself at the end of the bed.

"What was your row about?" the Doctor asked. Amy refused to speak.

"Amy?"

Suddenly, the anger boiling inside her burst its banks. "You!"  
"Sorry?"

"It was about you! He was upset because I kissed you! Why did you have to tell him?"

"Because he's your fiancé, Amy! He deserved to know!"

"I don't care!" she looked down at Rory's fevered face and a wave of sadness washed over her. "The last thing we said to each other was an argument and now he's in a coma! What if he doesn't wake up?"

"He will. I know he will," he attempted a smile. "Rory wouldn't leave you."

"How do you _know_?"

"Because I'm awake."

Amy turned sharply to see Rory's sweaty face, eyes open and smiling. He raised a shaking hand to her cheek and stroked away a tear. Amy grasped his face and kissed him.

The Doctor was amazed at how fast Rory had regained his energy. "Rory, you're back!" he began clapping lightly. "That's…"

Rory and Amy still hadn't broken apart. "Er, I might just go for a few laps in the pool…"

He then left the room and there was still no sign of Rory and Amy stopping any time soon. As it began to get a little more heated, the Doctor became glad that the swimming pool was on the other side of the TARDIS, and that the door was sound-proof.

He permitted himself a small smile. His plan for getting Rory and Amy to make up had worked perfectly.


End file.
